Frightened
by beth104
Summary: Based off of Gail Craon Levine's book "Fairest". Anya is a young girl of eighteen and is the lady in waiting to the princess of Ayortha. She asks a dangerous task of Anya an dshe refuses to do it. R&R and find out what happens in young and innocent Anya!
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Prologue

The Bizidelians burst out of no where, raiding their attack on Ieasuring. They came on dragons and phoenixes and fiery red pegasi. Arrows flying through the air, swords slashing and swinging, slicing through the gathering crowd of Puian knights in their shaking armor, terrified.

The king, in his study, is surrounded by his knights, being protected. Right before the fighting broke out, he had awoken from a dream. No, a sign, a prophecy. He saw three horses, a black stallion, a white mare and a brown mare riding up to the castle in the light of the sunset. Riding the stallion was a man, having the looks of a king, brave and determined, yet unsure. Atop the white mare, a fare maiden, looking like a queen, nervous and scared, but sure of what she was about to do and atop the brown mare, a man, looking like the maiden's brother.

He then saw the man from the stallion on a gryphon and the maiden on a snow white pegasus with black wings. They were in a battle. The maiden shot an arrow at a man in red armor atop a small hill in the middle of the battle grounds. He staggered backwards, but still remained upright. The gryphon put the man on the hill. The man swung his sword and sliced the man in red armor's sword arm. He fell to the ground and the man pierced his sword though his heart. He cried out the most horrific, piercing sound you could imagine and there was a sudden look of agony on his face, then, nothing. All the people stopped fighting when they heard the gut-wrenching shriek come from the man as he plunged his sword down into the chest of his enemy. The scene faded into blackness and the king awoke from his dream.

The King of Pu wrote down this prophecy and hid it in a secret compartment in the stone wall. The Bizidelians poured in from the windows and doors. They killed all the knights around the king and put him to his knees. A particular man stood in the doorway.

"Nicholas. I'm not surprised." said the Puian king.

The Bizidelian king laughed at the other for his fright. "Why so frightened?" He said the word _frightened_ with pure satisfaction at seeing his fellow king so close to death.

"What makes you say that I'm frightened?" A flash of realization sparked in his mind as the agony-stricken face of the man on the hill formed to the face of the man standing in front of him. They look so much alike but they can't be the same person. The man in the dream must be a descendent.

He didn't have time to think much about it, for Nicholas gave the order and a knife was sunk into the flesh on the back of his neck.

"Now look at who the most powerful king is in the land." Nicholas said gloatingly to the bleeding corpse lying on the floor.

_30 years later…_

A young boy and girl skip up the dirt lane to the old, destroyed castle. They climb over the rubble and skeletons of the unfortunate souls that were lost that dreadful night.

"Ewww, this is gross. Why did you make me come here, Rodney?" asked the girl after she tripped on a rotten corpse.

"Because, Elizabeth, you never know what you can find here," Rodney told her.

"Yeah, I do. A skinned knee and a sore bottom if my parents find out we were here," Elizabeth snapped.

"Your point?" asked Rodney.

"My point is that I'm going to get into a lot of trouble. Being with you always gets me in trouble, Rodney. You should know this by now."

"Yes, I should, but I never learn," he says as he picks his way carefully up the crumbling stairway.

"Be careful. I don't want you to fall," said Elizabeth, voice full of worry.

"Aww. You're worried about me," Rodney mocked.

"I am not," she said as she followed Rodney up the hazardous stairs. They walked into a room with many bodies lying on the floor.

"Eww. It smells in here," Elizabeth said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Really? I haven't noticed," Rodney said with sarcasm. The wooden floor was rotting in some places near the walls and windows. Elizabeth walked over to a fallen stone on the floor. There was a cut out opening in the back. A piece of folded paper lie inside the stone. She opened it up and read it. She saw that it was singed by King Richard, the king of Pu thirty years ago.

"Rodney?"

"What is it, Elizabeth?"

"That's just it. I don't know."

"Let me see." She handed the paper to Rodney.

"I think it's a prophecy," he said in awe.

They have found the lost prophecy!

Chapter One

_70 more years later…_

Ever since I could remember, I have loved to sing and dance. When I learned to walk, I learned to dance. Same with talking and singing. When I was old enough, I learned to play every instrument. Piano, lute, flute, you name it. My mother is a seamstress and my father is a horse groom. They both work at Ontio Castle the capital of Ayortha, which means my siblings and I lived at the castle, too. My oldest sibling's name is Enebie and my only brother. He loves to fence and is the prince's best friend. My older sister is Ophio and the scholar in the household. I have always been jealous of her smarts. My younger sister is Ifoli and the one that loves animals. And I am Anya, and, obviously, the musical one.

Everyone in Ayortha are singers, though, but I have the most unusual voice in the castle and in Ontio. Mother says that I have the most wonderful and beautiful voice in Ayortha and that I have a gift for music. She says that it's because my most famous ancestress is Queen Aza. If you have ever heard the story of Queen Aza and King Ijori, then you know that Queen Aza is part gnome. That means I am, too. I just inherited their ability to illuse and their shortness, sadly.

When I was five years old, I had to go to school. There I met Elodie and we became the best of friends. We have best friends for three years, now. We got in the worst of troubles together.

When we were in first grade, I liked this boy in our school that was two years older than us. He always charmed every girl he came across. I fell the hardest for him because I was the only girl that he liked. His name was Oroto and he lived in the castle, like me. Just like her clever ways, Elodie told him that I liked him. I said I hated her, but I really didn't. I tried to hide that I liked him whenever he talked to me, but it didn't work. My whole face always turned scarlet and I felt like I was on fire.

Then one day, I saw him talking to another girl, Ikei, and I saw her kiss his cheek. My heart was broke in two. Oh, that horrible minx! How could she kiss him! Elodie helped me through that horrible time. My best friend helped me.

That was the first mistake of my life, being best friends with her. I was five, and I didn't know any better. She was a bad influence and she would make do things I didn't want to do. I'm not a gnome, I can't see into the future. But Puians can deliver messages to you, but always life threatening and having to deal with Pu and Pu alone. That is a one in a million chance that would happen to me, but it did, which would happen later.

Three years later, Elodie's father was taken to the war to fight with Pu in the war against Bizidel. She didn't want him to go and I didn't, either. He was like a second father to me. Her mother didn't care that he left. She was just a gold digger and he had money.

When we were thirteen years old, she and her mother got a letter from the war. Her father had been captured and tortured and finally put out of his misery by the ruthless tyrant Shiro and his sister, Shira. His last words were "my wonderful, beautiful daughter." She was heart broken and I was heart broken, too. A few days later, the queen died while giving birth to a daughter! We have a new princess, but it was tragic.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Sorry that the last chapter was really confusing, but it had to be done. I read it myself and thought it was confusing, and that's saying something. I changed the names around. Ooops, I forgot to change the names the first time. My bad. The first chapter was background information and the prologue showed how the war started that is a key point later in the book. I hope it's better. Thanks for the feedback. I really needed it. -Bethany**

**I'm afraid I forgot to give descriptions of the main characters. So, here-**

**Anya- has straight dirty blond hair with htun streaks that goes a little past her shoulders, green-gray eyes, fairly short, skinny and is large boned, the only resemblance of Aza, her skin is naturally tan**

**Udu- curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, taller than normal people, two years older than Anya**

**Elodie- fairly short dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, can be a good friend, but not always, is completely imperialistic when given a position of power**

**Oroto- light brown straight hair and emerald green eyes, looks a lot like Udu, but are not related in any way**

**0o0o0o0**

Chapter Two

I am now fifteen, two years after Elodie's father and the queen died. The king is getting married! He said that he wanted to have a mother for his two year old daughter. He called me to his study one day to tell me this, or so I thought. I knocked on the study door.

"Come in," he called. He looked up from what he was doing as I entered. "Ah, yes, Anya. How is the weather fairing you today?"

"Quite fine. Thank you, Your Majesty." I curtsied.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times to refer to me as your uncle," he said with a grin on his face.

"Yes, Uncle O." I love the king. He is like the uncle I never had. I've never actually had an uncle, or an aunt. My father's only sister died when they were young from pneumonia and my mother never had any siblings, or ones that I've never met. She had a step-sister once, but they never liked each other, so my mother left. As far as my mother is concerned, her step-sister doesn't exist.

"Anya, what do think of Angela?" he asked. Angela is his daughter, the princess.

"I think that she has good potential, but she needs a mother."

"That's what I thought, that she needs a mother. That's why I'm getting married." I was taken aback. He was getting married?

"With whom, may I ask?"

"A wealthy woman that lives in town. Her second husband just recently died in the war. She also has a daughter your age."

"Really? A girl my age?" I asked.

"Won't it be better than spending all day with that stable boy, Udu?" I was offended. He wasn't just a stable boy to me. He was much more than that.

"He's not just a stable boy. I can't do much better than him. I am of the lower class, as well as he," I said, making a point.

"That's why I called you here. I am going to make you a lady. Lady Anya of Ontio." That made my heart stop. That means I couldn't be together with Udu! I couldn't accept his offer. But I had to. It would anger him. He was very easily angered.

"Why, thank you, Uncle. But… why?"

"I want to see you be attracted to other men of higher stature instead of that stable boy. You can do much better than him. What about Oroto, my step-nephew?" What? Was I really hearing this? Oroto was his nephew? No, step-nephew.

"How are you related to Oroto?"

"My brother married his mother after her previous husband died. Therefore, step-nephew. He would be good for you, Anya. He will become the next king, rather than Angela. You could be queen." _No, I don't think so. Not in your life_, I thought. _Not in a million years_.

"No, Oroto is too… too…" I searched for the right word.

"Eccentric, annoying, conceited?" He gave me a list of words.

"All three. I don't like him very much. Besides, he likes another girl."

"Oh, really? Because he told me that he only likes one girl. You."

"I know he likes me, I just don't like him back."

"I don't like him, either," he confessed. So the truth comes out. "I'm scared of what he might do once in possession of the crown."

"So am I. I'm scared of what he might do to me if I don't agree to wed him."

"Personally, I like my other nephew better than him, but his father doesn't want him knowing that he is the rightful heir to the throne. Only blood relative men can inherit the throne unless there is no one else. Angela would, but she is a lady." There was a knock at the door. Oroto swooped in, dragging a young boy, around my age, behind him by the boy's faded red scarf around his neck. He looked very much like me. The same face structure and same color eyes. Only his hair is a slightly darker blond than mine with very little black at all.

"Uncle, look who I found snooping around the castle. He claimed he was the next rightful heir to the throne. Uncle, you know that I am," He whined. I looked into the eyes of the boy and smiled my most dazzling smile. He smiled back, uncertainly.

"Oh, hello Anya," Oroto said, turning to me. He is such a nut.

"Oroto!" He jumped. "Do not refer to me as Anya. It is Lady Anya, now. And let go of this poor boy! You're hurting him!" Oroto dropped the boy to the ground. I ran over and helped him up. I sat him down in one of the big comfortable chairs. He was wearing servants clothes and the scarf around his neck. He put a hand up to his neck. I removed his hand and pulled back the scarf. It was bruised blue, purple and black.

"Lady Anya, would you be a doll and show this poor boy to the physician's chambers?"

"Of course, Uncle. I would be glad to." I showed the boy out of the room and we walked down the corridor lined with tallow lamps.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Owillo," he said in a whisper.

"How do you know that you are the rightful heir to the throne?"

"My mother told me three days ago, when she got the news of my father's death, fighting with the Puians in Bizidel."

"I'm sorry that you're father died. I think that your mother is the king's sister. Your father never wanted you to know. Your mother wanted to tell you so much because she wanted you to have the best life possible."

"You knew my mother?"

"No. The king, your uncle, told me."

"You called him uncle, too, yet you look nothing like him, except for your eyes. How can this be?" We descended the spiraling staircase at the end of the corridor and into the Great Hall.

"He's not really my uncle. I just treat him like he is."

"Thank you, Lady Anya, for standing up for me like that. Oroto, if that's his name, is so horrid. He treated me like we were sworn enemies." He sounded very afraid of him.

"He's always mean to everyone except for me and his uncle. His mother is even afraid of him, when she's not angry, or so I've heard."

"Why is he not mean to you?"

"My parents and his uncle arranged to us to get married when we were young. I don't want to marry him, though. He's too conceited and annoying. And I can't marry someone when I love someone else." I've said too much.

"Aww. Anya's in love! How sweet. Who is it?"

"His name is Udu, but we're just friends, not lovers. So if you see him, don't say anything."

"My lips are sealed," he said as he pretended to lock his mouth shut.

"Now how are you going to talk?" I asked, laughing. He shrugged and I laughed again. Just then, when we were walking through the garden, Udu passed by us. He stopped and looked at Owillo, then to me and back to Owillo again.

"Oh, hello Udu. How is the weather fairing you today?"

"Very well, thank you, Anya," he said, still looking back and forth between Owillo and I.

"_Lady_ Anya," I corrected. His gaze locked with mine.

"So, you're a lady now. Well then, _Lady_ Anya. I see you've made a friend." I glimmer of humor shined in his dark brown eyes.

"Yes. This is Owillo, the king's _blood_ nephew. He just arrived today to claim the throne." He hugged me and lifted me up into the air and spun me around. He put me down abruptly in embarrassment, dropping me almost a foot to the ground.

"So you mean that he is the rightful heir to the throne? Anya, this is great!"

"It doesn't change the fact that I still have to marry Oroto."

"Don't worry about that, sweet. We'll deal with that later." What did he just say? Did he just call me _sweet_? I heard a snicker behind me and I realized that Owillo was still there.

"I have to take Owillo to the physician's chambers, so if you would excuse us, that would be wonderful," I said, hurrying off to the physician. I turned to Owillo. "Not a word," I threatened, blushing.

"Of course not, sweet."

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" I shouted my face turning bright red.

"Okay, you don't have to yell."

"I won't if you don't call me that."

"Why did he lift you into the air like that?"

"I frankly don't know."

"I saw that he likes you but doesn't think that you like him back."

"Why would he think that I don't like him?"

"Probably because you don't act like it."

"How do I tell him without actually telling him, if that makes sense?"

"Guys like it when you flat out tell them that you like them."

"I don't want to embarrass myself if he doesn't like me."

"Trust me, he likes you." We walked on in silence. We came to a cul-de-sac, and walked across to a door on the right. I opened the door and called to the physician.

"Orco! Are you here?" I called.

"Oh! Anya. What brings your lovely face here?" Orco asked.

"I need you to take care of Owillo." I led him to a chair to sit down. A flash of recognition went across the physician's face.

"What happened to him?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Oroto," I said.

"No surprise there. Where is he hurt?" I took his scarf off and noticed something else I hadn't seen before. It looked as if he was beaten and whipped. The physician inspected his neck. Owillo flinched when he touched it.

"You might want to look at his chest and back, too. It looks as if he had been flogged many times."

"Take off your tunic, Owillo, so I can take a look." Owillo took off his tunic unwillingly. I gasped. He had whip lashes all over his chest and arms and back that were still oozing blood. I knelt down beside the chair.

"Who has done this to you?" I asked in horror.

"Mostly Oroto before he took me to the king, and some farmers that I stole food from to get here." He flinched again.

"I am going to give Oroto a piece of my mind," I said stubbornly.

"I don't think that would be wise, Anya. He will be king one day."

"No he won't. I will." _Owillo, be quiet. You don't want the whole world to know. That would make Oroto even more mad,_ I thought.

"You will? Ha! Are you joking? How are you going to be king?"

"I will be. Honestly." Orco looked at me. I nodded at Orco.

"Anya, will you come with me, please?"

"Of course, Orco." I followed him into the other room.

"Is he really the true heir to the throne?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, he is. He is the king's blood nephew opposed to Oroto."

"Where has he been all these years?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that his father didn't want him to know and his mother did. His mother is the king's sister, but the king hates her because she fell in love with and married a man who tried to assassinate him and his wife, so he disowned her. He loves his nephew, though, so Owillo has nothing to worry about."

"So that's what happened to her. I knew she was kicked out with her husband and a baby boy. She also had a girl, but she died. They were twins. Everyone thought that she left because her daughter died. That was a few days after you were born. Maybe…" He trailed off.

"Maybe what?" I was curious now. I was known mostly for my curiosity, loud mouth and kindness for those worse off than me.

"Nothing. It's absurd. Forget I said anything." He walked back into the other room before I could say anything else. I followed him. I was just about to walk back to the king's study when Owillo stopped me.

"Lady Anya, wait. Do you promise to make Oroto stop whipping me?"

"I promise." I walked out, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

I made my way back to the king's study to find Oroto and the king arguing, no surprise. They seemed not to notice me.

"Oroto, you are not going to be king. He is. End of discussion." He waved him away. Oroto stormed out of the room, nearly knocking me to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, Oroto."

"Oh, I am very sorry, Milady. It will never happen again," he said then kissed my knuckles. I pulled away from him and he stomped off to his quarters. I could see in his eyes that he wanted nothing more than to smack me across the face. But he would never. Not in his life. He loves me too much.

"That went well," I said. The king just grunted in acknowledgement. "Owillo's doing fine. Except… Oroto beat and flogged him before he brought him up here." I waited for the volcano to erupt.

"He did what? He does not have the authority to do that! He never did! How dare he think that he did!" That wasn't even the worst of it.

"Oh, that little scullion! I wish I could through him the dungeon! I wish he would stop being so full of himself!" He sat back down, letting the steam out.

"Sire, we all wish to through him the dungeon. I hate him even though I'm the person that he's nicest to. And I think I know how you can through him the dungeon. You are the king, Your Majesty. You can through him in the dungeon for a few days to teach him a lesson. Or you could humiliate him by putting him in the stocks. He would hate that."

"That's not a bad idea. The stocks. He said to me when he was little that the stocks would be his worst nightmare." He had a devious smile on his face.

"Your welcome, Uncle O," I said, also with a devious smile on my face.

"Yes, thank you, Anya."

"_Lady_ Anya," I corrected him.

"Anya for me, as a part of my family."

"Uncle O, we're not really family. We just act like it." He looked like he had a longing look on his face, like he needed to tell me something.

"But that's where you're wrong. We are family. You are my niece. That's why I insist you call me uncle." I froze. I was his _what_? Am I really his niece? I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Your mother is my sister, the same mother as Owillo's. You and Owillo are twins." I was stunned, and then my body filled with rage.

"Has my whole life been a lie? I bet even my name is a lie! My whole life! How can you live with yourself? You retched, horrible person! How could you keep this from me?"

"Your name is Anya, but it's not the name that your parents gave to you. It's Amora. If you still want to be called Anya, that's up to you."

"Then, is Oroto my, my…" I couldn't say it.

"Yes, Oroto is your step-cousin, I'm sorry to say."

"So am I." I started to get up, when I saw someone's shadow on the floor on the other side of the door.

"Eww, I can't believe you wanted me to marry him, after knowing all of this. I would never marry him." I pretended to keep talking so the person behind the door would stay there. I opened the door and saw Oroto standing there with his ear cupped to where the door was. He looked at me and smiled with his _uh-oh-I'm-caught_ smile that he's given me some many times before.

"Oh, hello, Lady Anya, or should I say cousin Amora. It doesn't change the fact that you still have to marry me, king or not."

"I'd rather not marry at all. If I do have to marry you, I'd have to kill myself, or you. Most likely you. And yes, that is a threat."

"No, don't be like that. You'll learn to love me, have children with me." I spat at him. I couldn't take this anymore.

"Not in your life. I'd rather marry Orro if I had to choose between you two," I retorted.

"Ouch, like I care. You have to marry me in a few years."

"Ugh, don't remind me." I stepped out into the corridor and closed the study door behind me.

"I will in every moment of every day." He gripped my chin firmly and pulled me closer, grabbing my waste. He tilted my face up to his and leaned down to kiss me. His lips pressed hard against mine. He loosened his grip and my eyes closed. I started to kiss him back, then I remembered who I was kissing. My eyes shot open, his lips still kissing mine. I struggled out of his grip, or tried to. As soon as he felt me tense up, his grip tightened again. But he couldn't stop my head from moving. I leaned in farther to him, taking him by surprise. That was the plan. His grip loosened a lot so I could struggle away as best I could. I jerked out of his arms and slapped him across the face. His hand clung to his stinging cheek. He looked at me, smiling, a smile that I've never seen before.

"Don't look at me that way. It creeps me out. And don't you dare kiss me again! I will never love you, never. Do you hear me?"

"You were enjoying our kiss for a moment, there." Obviously he didn't hear me. Typical Oroto.

"I was not! How dare you accuse me of such a lie?" It wasn't supposed to be a question to be answered, but he answered it anyways.

"Easily, and it wasn't a lie. I felt that you liked it."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, which I didn't." Maybe I really did. Oh, don't think like that. He's my cousin!

"You did. You like me. Admit it. You love me."

"Never because I don't love you."

"You never said you didn't like me."

"I don't."

"You don't sound so sure about that."

"I am."

"You still didn't sound sure of yourself."

"Well, I am. Stop doubting me."

"I won't as long as you are absolutely positive."

"And how will you know that?" I snapped.

"Well that's easy. I don't. I never will unless you truthfully tell me."

"Would you like the truth, then?" I was getting really annoyed.

"Yeah, kind of."

"Well then, I like you as a friend."

"But you don't love me."

"No. Not in that way. Didn't we just go over this?" His face was an expression of hurt and shame and repentance. I wish I could take back what I just said. I changed the subject.

"How could you?"

"How could I what?"

"Beat and flog Owillo!" A disbelieving expression replaced his other expression.

"I did no such thing! How dare you accuse me of such a crime!"

"Liar!" I accused firmly. More like yelled accusingly.

"What would give you such a ridiculous idea?"

"Owillo told me and I saw his fresh wounds. There were still bleeding." My voice quieted down because people were stopping and staring, a look of confusion on their faces. Oroto's face started to turn a deep red.

"I did not flog him! I would not flog anyone! I can't believe you would listen to him instead of me! I've known you forever and you just met him." He placed a hand on my arm. "Anya, I wouldn't lie to you. I love you."

"Then prove that you love me. Leave Owillo alone. Don't go anywhere near him. If I ever catch you near him or if he tells me that you were near him, God help you. You're going to need his help after I'm done with you." He looked slightly frightened.

"I can do that. Easily."

"Can you leave me alone?"

"Of course not. I would never be able to bear it."

"Well, you're going to have to."

"What?"

"You know what I said. Good day, Oroto." I turned to leave and started to walk down the corridor. I heard light sniffles behind me. A young servant girl that had watched me argue with Oroto came up to me.

"Excuse me, Milady. Why did you yell at the Prince?" I squatted down next to her.

"May I ask your name?"

"Adriana, Milady."

"You see, Adriana, he did some very bad things and I was yelling because he wouldn't admit what he did even though I knew what he did. He lied to me. Do you know what happens to liars?"

"No, what happens?"

"When they sleep, they will have nightmares about what they did and what would happen to them if they didn't tell the truth."

"That's horrible. I don't ever want to have nightmares."

"Then don't tell a lie. Even a little fib will give you nightmares." Her eyes widened to twice their size.

"I won't ever tell a lie. I promise." Adriana ran off in the direction of the kitchen, no doubt looking for her mother. I looked back at Oroto, still disbelieving and raging. I walked over to him.

"Oroto, I'm sorry for yelling at you and not trusting you." He turned is back to me and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Oroto, listen to me. I didn't mean to yell. You know I can't control my temper. You can't stay mad at me forever." I walked in front of him and uncrossed his arms. I held his hands in my own. He took his hands away and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. I sat down next to him. I took his hand again. This time, he didn't object.

"I know you didn't mean to yell, but did you mean those things that you said?" he asked, looking down.

"At the time, yes. But now, not at all. Now, I wish I could all those words back." He turned to me and looked into my eyes. I turned my head away from his and stared at a dust particle on the blue tile and watched it roll onto a yellow tile. He grasped my chin and forced me to look in his eyes.

"Really? You don't mean what you said?"

"Yes." He let go of my chin, but I didn't look away. Neither did he. I stared into the emerald green abyss of his eyes, searching for something, I just didn't know what. I felt him leaning in closer to me. I started to lean in, too, but instead I got to my feet. I looked away from Oroto, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes. He got up and walked in front of me. He tilted my head up to make me see the hurt in his emerald green eyes.

"Why do you not want to kiss me?" I flinched inside from the hurt in his voice that I had given him. I hate causing people emotional pain.

"Because I don't love you." He walked back over to the wall and sat back down.

"That's it? You won't kiss me because you don't love me?"

"Why would I kiss somone if I don't love them?"

"Because I order you to."

"That order would be disobeyed quite easily."

"No, Anya, it wouldn't because there is no such order. I have no more power to order people to do what I want anymore."

"Just because you're not going to be king doesn't mean that you no longer have power. Don't forget that you are still the king's nephew."

"No, step-nephew. You are his blood niece. You have more power than I." I walked over to him and held out a hand. He took it, but instead of me helping him up, which is what I intended to do, he pulled me down by accident. Or at least he made me think it was an accident. I ended up on top of him, bumping our foreheads. I stayed there, staring into those green depths that he calls eyes. I rolled off and sat back down next to him. Looking into those eyes with a glimmer of laughter and love made me giggle to myself.

"What?"

"I was just thinking."

"About?"

"This morning, I hated you. But now, I like you. A lot."

"Maybe more than a lot." I nudged his arm with my fist, like a little punch.

"Just because I loved you in first grade doesn't mean I love you now."

"Who said you stopped."

"No one. Not even me."

"What are you saying?"

"I think you know." I sat up straight and kissed his cheek. He got up and held out a hand for me to take. I took it and he brought me to my feet. Now I know never to try to help a guy up or I will end up kissing them.

**A/N**

**Please tell me what you think. Thank you!**


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